Changing Seasons
by Hylianinja
Summary: AU multi-chapter. It's the middle of the summer and the fated couples have a few things that they need to get resolved before they can all attend college together in the fall. Kaichi/JunMi/JunEdel
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Aichi couldn't help but pace around his bedroom while waiting for Kai to show up. They hadn't seen each other in a little over six months and even the mere thought of seeing Kai again made him feel like a nervous wreck. It took everything he had to keep himself from shaking.

Sure, they had managed to keep in touch through phone calls and text messages, but it was nothing compared to the actual interaction he had craved.

Aichi didn't want to admit it, but lately the distance seemed to be too much for him. He was so anxious to see Kai again. All this time he had to hold in his feelings, unable to express them. Even though his words had gotten through to kai many times, he felt that his true feelings had not yet reached him.

_What if he doesn't feel the same way anymore?_ Aichi sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about the last time they had spent together over his winter break. He frowned at how selfish he had been when he had found out Kai was moving away again. And how he had confessed his feelings to him, hoping they would be enough to make him stay.

In the end, Kai left. But he had promised to come back during the summer after Aichi had graduated so that they could attend college together.

Aichi stopped in the middle of the room for a moment, clutching his shirt. He took in a slow, deep breath, hoping to ease the pounding in his chest.

Once he calmed down a bit, he looked outside his window at the clear, blue sky above, approaching it slowly to get a better view.

_Had his feelings changed about all this?_ He wondered as a light, summer breeze blew in. _Was he having doubts? Did he not feel the same way about Kai anymore?_

He shook his head as the wind softly caressed his face, feeling ashamed for even asking himself that. Of course his feelings were the same. He had loved Kai ever since they first met. If anything, his feelings for the other young man had only grown stronger. It just hurt so much being apart from him for so long.

When he finally looked down and saw that no cars were parked in front of the house, he sighed again, this time another thought crossed his mind.

_What am I going to do if he finds out about...?_

His train of thought was interrupted as his mother, Shizuka, called from downstairs.

"Aichi! Kai's here!"

"Eh?" Aichi jumped, not expecting him to be there so soon. He grabbed his light jacket, throwing it on as he made his way down to the front door.

Their long-awaited reunion was anything but spectacular as Aichi opened the door.

"Kai! I'm so glad you're-"

"Sorry," Kai interrupted, flatly. "But we aren't going anywhere today until you explain this."

"Huh?" Aichi felt confused until he saw the unfolded note Kai held out in front of him.

It read, _Time's up. We'll be waiting._

Aichi's heart fell to the pit of his stomach. All of his happiness faded away as he frowned, immediately recognizing the small piece of paper. He mentally scolded himself for not checking for notes before returning home the day before. Whether or not Kai's or his own feelings had changed was now the least of his worries.

"What's going on?" Kai asked, seriously. "This sounds like a threat."

He gulped, unsure of how he should even begin to explain his predicament.

"Kai, I...umm..."

Seeing now that the message he had found taped outside the door evidently meant something after all, Kai lowered his hand, crinkling the note within his grasp. Before either or them could say another word, he grabbed Aichi's hand and took off up the stairs to the younger boy's room.

"Oh, you aren't leaving right away?" Shizuka called from inside the kitchen.

"I'll prepare some tea for you!"

"No, it's alright, mom! I've already got some snacks in my room!" Aichi lied. He had gotten into some pretty bad habits since Kai left.

Shizuka shrugged off the obvious lie and smiled, wondering what in the world those two had gotten into this time.

"Let me know if you two need anything!" She called cheerfully before returning to the kitchen.

Aichi's heart was racing and his face felt flushed as Kai released his hand and closed the door behind them with a noticeable thud.

He struggled to look his boyfriend in the eyes as Kai brought up the note again.

"Tell me what's going on," Kai said, sounding much calmer than Aichi anticipated.

Aichi took a moment to catch his breath. He'd been caught. There was no sense in making up further lies.

"Don't freak out, okay?" He started.

Kai didn't nod in agreement.

"I umm," Aichi continued. "There was this bakery Emi wanted to check out after school a couple months ago. It was across town, but I agreed to drive her and Kamui there.." He paused. "We had a really great time, but on our way out, I didn't notice a group of bikes parked behind me and I accidently hit one of them with my car when I was backing out of the parking lot."

Kai's eyes narrowed, as if to say he could tell where this story was headed.

"The damage wasn't that bad!" Aichi tried to make light of the situation, but it failed, as Kai's expression only grew colder. "But the owners of the bikes came out pretty upset. They wanted me to pay for chipping the paint."

"Did you?" Kai asked.

Aichi swallowed, once again avoiding eye contact.

"That's where things get complicated..."

Kai walked past Aichi, taking a seat on his bed with a heavy sigh.

"So what happened next?"

"Look, I..." Aichi paused, feeling truly sorry that all of this was happening when they were supposed to be outside spending their precious time together.

"I didn't mean to-"

Kai cut him off again.

"It's too late for that." He folded his arms. "Keep going. I want to know what happened and why someone's leaving these notes in front of your house."

Aichi exhaled, feeling slightly relieved. He was so sure Kai would have been fuming by now.

"Ah, okay..." Aichi took a deep breath.

"Well, after I paid back the bikers, they followed us back home. We thought it was strange, since we had driven kind of far to get to the bakery, we didn't think the bikers would have lived anywhere near us. It turns out they must be local after all, since they continued following me. Eventually they also found out about Emi going to a wealthy, private school and knew that our family had money, so..."

"They wanted more..." Kai concluded.

"Yeah," Aichi sank, taking a seat on the floor.

"They started leaving me notes, demanding money from me every two weeks," he continued. "And they threatened to hurt Emi if I didn't pay them. Kamui's been helping me out by giving me his allowance. So far, we've been able to keep them at bay, but these last few weeks..."

"They've been getting more aggressive?" Kai guessed.

"Yeah," Aichi looked down, the worst of it having yet to leave his mouth.

"A couple days ago, I met up with them as planned and was short 800 yen. Kamui offered to walk Emi home that day, so I had Morikawa and Izaki with me. In the end, they let us go, but..." Aichi stopped, afraid to say any more.

Kai's eyes narrowed furiously as he got to his feet.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" He asked, clearly upset.

"Kai, I-" Aichi jumped at the sudden attack.

"It never would have gotten to this point if you'd contacted the police!"

_The police?_ Aichi stood as well, defending himself.

"You think the police could have done anything? Kai, these guys are criminals! They aren't just some bullies that were picking on me for some quick change! They carry bats and knives with them everywhere they go! They don't care about the authority! And they know where I live!"

"Tch," Kai backed off, sensing the fear in Aichi's voice.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you getting involved in something I had caused. And I was going to be leaving this place soon anyway. I thought that by the time you came back they would have backed off." Aichi looked down, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who's sorry," Kai apologized in a low tone. "I guess I just thought you trusted me."

Aichi's mouth fell open as Kai began walking to the door. He felt tears welling up in his eyes as it opened and then closed as Kai walked out.

Aichi hesitated for a moment, feeling frozen in fear before turning around and opening the door and bolting downstairs after his boyfriend.

"Wait! Kai! Where are you going?" He called after him from the top of the stairs.

He caught Kai at the front door, holding his phone to his ear as he attempted to call someone.

"I'm putting a stop to this. Right now."

Aichi fell to his knees as the front door closed.

Kai was gone.

Shizuka came out shortly afterward, drying a dish in her hands with a towel. Upon seeing how upset her son was, she gently set her things down on the counter and went over to sit beside him on the steps.

"I don't know what's going on, but is it something we need to discuss?" She asked kindly. She was never the type of mother to pry. Aichi was usually pretty easy for her to read, especially regarding Kai.

As she set a hand on his shoulder, Aichi wanted more than anything to confide in his mother, but he couldn't let her get involved in his mess either. He and Emi had promised to keep it from her until things had settled down, but things were only getting worse. He would never be able to forgive himself if Kai didn't return. This was _his_ fault. He needed to do something.

"I don't know what to do, mom." He admitted, tears clouding his vision. "I couldn't trust him."

"Ah, so it's a trust thing then?" Shizuka nodded, knowingly. "All true relationships have them tested."

"Mom?" Aichi looked at her, hoping she had some sort of uplifting advice she could give him.

"You know, I've always been able to tell." She said, pulling her son into a light embrace. "Kai-kun really cares about you."

_I know._ Aichi thought, a light pain resonating in his chest. _That's why he ran out there. To make sure we'll be okay._

"Don't worry, it'll be alright." Shizuka placed a loving kiss on her son's forehead.

"You trust him, don't you?"

Aichi hesitated.

"I..."

As his mother got up and quietly returned to the kitchen, he didn't bother answering her question. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind.

_Kai said he was going to stop this._ He thought. _But how could he possibly do that? Had he gone to the police?_

"I have to go after him," Aichi said, finally. He stood slowly, stopping for a moment to slip his shoes on before opening the door. He had no idea where Kai had gone, but he couldn't stand around doing nothing. This was _his_ problem. He had to help put a stop to it as well.

"I'll be back later!" He called toward the kitchen.

"Okay!" His mother replied. "Be careful and don't stay out too late!"


	2. Chapter 2

At the entrance to Jun's hideout, Miwa sighed, leaning against the cool, brick walls that lined the alleyway. Even with his boyfriend currently the head of the gang that owned the surrounding territory, he still felt a bit uneasy. It reminded him of how he'd felt the first time he'd traversed these narrow, urban walkways. The first time he'd met the dark haired delinquent.

No one confronted him as he entered the horribly cluttered, urban sanctuary. As he slowly made his way to the back of the lot toward Jun's throne, he watched as several young-looking guys played a very aggressive game of basketball. Changing his view to the opposite side, he noticed a group of high school students playing cards in a corner of the alley, with two people at the table betting a pretty decent amount of money. Not too far from them, a group of scantily-clad women were smoking cigarettes and gossiping. One of them winked knowingly as he passed by. He sighed, feeling somewhat nostalgic. This place hasn't changed at all, he thought. It made him wonder why Jun had decided to stay here all this time. Didn't he ever want a change of pace?

Miwa had questioned him about it before, both over the phone and in-person before leaving for college. But he had never gotten a straight answer. Jun would always change the subject or start asking bizarre questions.

He wondered what connection Jun had to this place; these people. It had to be personal. Only now had it occurred to Miwa that he didn't really know his boyfriend at all.

"_Taishi?"_

Upon hearing his name, the blonde tensed and jerked his head back toward where he had been walking and was surprised to see Jun sprinting toward him. He froze.

And before he could utter any sort of greeting, Jun's arms were around him in a strong embrace.

"I'm so glad you're here." Jun closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, burying his face in Miwa's shoulder as he attempted to pull him in even closer.

"Ah, yeah, it feels good to be back." Miwa replied, awkwardly wrapping his arms gently around Jun as best he could. He was sure his ribcage would give out under any more pressure.

Sometimes Jun would forget just how strong he'd become over the years.

"C-Could you...?" Miwa struggled to breathe.

"Oh, sorry," Jun released Miwa and placed his hands in his coat pockets out of embarrassment. He had honestly just missed Miwa so much that he couldn't control himself.

No one in the underground jungle paid any mind to their interactions. Most of them had probably been around back when the two of them had first starting going out.

Miwa smiled anxiously. Even if no one minded that the two of them were together, the fact that other people were there at all made him feel pretty uneasy. This was supposed to be a reunion after all. He wished he could be alone with Jun, but didn't want to cause any problems by asking Jun to chase everyone out of the hideout. Besides, this was their home too. Talk about rude.

"It feels like it's been forever." Jun said suddenly. "How's college life?" He asked, cutting to the chase. He kicked a couple small, wooden crates over so they could both sit down while waiting for a reply.

Miwa carefully took a seat across from Jun before answering the question.

"It's actually pretty nice," he smiled. "It feels refreshing being out on my own, y'know? No nagging parents, no expectations. I know Kai's used to living on his own, so he adapted faster than I did, but I think we're both having a lot of fun so far."

"That's good," Jun replied, flatly.

Miwa's smile faded slightly. He couldn't place it exactly, but something about Jun seemed...off. They hadn't seen each other in close to half a year. He wasn't sure what he had expected from Jun when they met again exactly, but it sure wasn't this.

"Hey," he asked. "Why do you look so down in the dumps? Did something happen?"

Jun didn't say anything right away as he avoided any eye contact for a moment. He seemed to be deep in thought and for the first time in a while, Miwa started to feel deeply concerned. Jun rarely ever had these kinds of serious moments around him before. He wondered if something had changed while they had been apart. A lot could change in six months.

"Taishi, I...I think we need to talk about things. I mean...about the future."

Miwa felt his heart drop when the words finally registered. Jun's tone alone was enough to tell him that whatever was on his mind was serious.

"Oh, okay." Miwa paused, trying not to let his worry show. "Well, if there's something on your mind, I'm here for you."

"That's just it though," Jun said, his voice sounding unnatural. "You shouldn't be here with someone like me."

Miwa tried to lock eyes with Jun, but Jun was still looking down. He acted as though he was trying to hide something.

Miwa realized he was probably the only person in the world Jun ever lowered his stature in front of. All the time he'd known him, Jun had carried himself so proudly. Had that all been just a facade? No, Miwa told himself. Jun had no reason to be looking down on himself. Whether he lived on the streets with a bad reputation or not, Miwa knew that deep down he was a good person.

"Hey, don't think like that. I'm here because I want to be. Because I care about you."

Miwa offered a hand on Jun's shoulder, squeezing it slightly to let him know he was there for him.

When that gave him no response, he tried something else.

"You don't care about me anymore, is that what's going on here? C'mon, what is it? Did you meet someone else?"

Jun finally lifted his gaze, his eyes full of fierce conviction as if he had made up his mind about something long ago and had only just now decided to act on it.

"Of course not! You're the only one I care about! That's why I'm telling you. I'm not someone you need to be involved with. You don't need me distracting you or holding you back from your future. You still have one. I don't."

Miwa was at a loss for words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Jun...breaking up with him?After everything that they had been through together? After all of the plans they had made to attend college together after the summer?

He couldn't find the words right away, but he had to find out.

"Are you..giving up on us?" He asked, his voice and expression both filled with pain.

Jun sighed and got to his feet, taking a few steps away from where he had been sitting. _He really loved Miwa._ _He didn't want this to happen._ He just couldn't see them moving onto a better life together, no matter how much he may have wanted it. He had made his decision long ago to pay for his crimes by living out the rest of his life here. _He didn't deserve to be with Miwa. _He told himself._ He didn't deserve to be happy. _

And besides, Miwa was so much better than him and still full of life. He was several years younger and still had hopes and dreams. Jun was just bad news.

_This is for the best,_ he told himself.

"I know what I said before," Jun suddenly said, walking back toward Miwa. He stopped in front of him as Miwa got to his feet.

"But I can't leave this place." He added. "This is where I belong. I'm sorry, Miwa. We should just end this now. Before one of us gets hurt."

Miwa couldn't believe what was happening as Jun patted him on the head, ignoring the tears starting to well up in his eyes.

"Things will be better this way. You deserve better."

Jun's words stung as he smiled the most fake smile Miwa had ever seen and then turned his back to him, walking toward where he came from.

"Jun!" Miwa wasn't sure what he wanted to do or say, but he wasn't about to let it all end this way.

"What the hell happened to you?!" He asked. He choked back a cry as the rest of the crowd in the underground started staring at the two of them.

When Jun didn't stop walking, Miwa charged after him.

Jun didn't resist at all as Miwa grabbed a hold of his jacket collar and spun him around.

"You can't just walk away! I won't let you!" He argued.

"Miwa, lower your voice." Jun whispered. "I think you've forgotten where you are and who you're talking to."

The darkness in Jun's voice took Miwa aback. He'd never heard Jun sound like that before. Something malevolent shone in his eyes and he wondered if Jun had only been playing him for a fool all this time.

"Stop this! Just stop it already!" Miwa pleaded, tugging on Jun's jacket.

Jun's harsh expression didn't change and it scared Miwa. It was as if he was looking at a whole different person.

"This isn't you!" Miwa continued. "I don't know what happened while I was gone, but we can talk about it! I'll listen to everything you say and won't make any jokes, I swear!" He laughed hysterically, truly hoping this was all just some kind of nightmare and that he had fallen asleep in the car while Kai had been driving.

"You don't know me! You don't know what I've done!" Jun suddenly shouted. "You have no idea who I am, so stop pretending that you're in love with me!"

"Jun..." Miwa's eyes widened. This wasn't a nightmare. This was real.

Miwa clenched his right fist. If words weren't going to get through to him then there was only one other choice. Without holding back, he swung at Jun, but gasped when the dark-haired young man caught him by the arm and spun him around so that his arm was in a lock. It had happened so quickly, Miwa was stunned. Jun really was an experienced fighter.

"Whoa, did he really just take a swing at the _King_?" Someone snickered.

"That guy's got guts." A woman whispered.

"Listen, Miwa." Jun whispered, his temperament softening just a bit.

The blonde blushed as he felt Jun's breath brush against his ear.

"I'm not going to say it again. What we had was fun, but it's over now. We both need to move on. Now just do what I say and get out of here."

Miwa let out a pathetic whimper as he felt Jun release his arm and push him full-force toward the entrance to the hideout.

Miwa had to keep himself from crying as he looked back at the young man he no longer recognized. Everything he had been excited about and looking forward to doing with Jun this summer came crashing down in an instant. He suddenly didn't know what to do with himself. He winced as if he'd just been slapped and turned away, dashing out of sight.

Upon seeing Miwa leave, Jun stopped staring daggers and turned back toward his throne. It took everything he had in him not to to turn around and run after Miwa. After everything he ever wanted.

When he finally got to his throne, he took his seat and told everyone to clear out. Within minutes, the lot was completely abandoned, with a couple poker games still left unfinished. With no one left around to see, he buried his face in his fists and cried.


End file.
